Today we’d like to introduce you to Jo Williams.
Jo, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
My journey as an artist and a watercolor painter has been one of the great journeys of my life – a journey that continues. My first introduction to watercolor was by my third-grade teacher who was a watercolor landscape painter. I have never forgotten the lessons in mixing greens and the importance of the pigment yellow, because it was always the first color to disappear from my Prang watercolor sets. This experience planted a seed that continues to thrive, as I am primarily a landscape painter.
There were no formal art classes offered where I attended school, but I was able to take some private classes. I continued my study of art in college and majored in art education.
After a brief experience teaching in public school, I began teaching privately including continuing education classes for the University of North Texas. I currently teach at the art center in Denton and conduct plein aire workshop through the southwest and France. Teaching gives me almost as much joy as painting.
Although I painted in oil and pastel for a few years, I soon rediscovered watercolor and it remains my great passion. I have honed my skill through study with many outstanding watercolor teachers and returned to college mid-career and took 18 hours in watercolor.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My inspiration for painting is derived from the natural world. As a child growing up in rural North Texas, I spent hours roaming the woods and meadows near my home. The images of big skies, trees, roots, rocks, creeks, leaves, and acorns are all strongly embedded in my psyche. I paint all of these subjects and more.
We all perceive the natural world in unique ways. I remember a time when my sister went with me on a drive in the country to shoot photographs of sumac. (This was in the days before digital photography). When I showed her my photographs, she was surprised at how beautiful the sumac looked. This made me aware that not everyone sees the world as I see it. I have since had similar experiences with other people.
I hope that my paintings not only are pleasing to my viewer but might also give the viewer a fresh look at the natural world and a glimpse into how I perceive it. I also hope to convey the beauty of watercolor. It is unique as a media in the way it depicts light because of the nature of its transparency.
Watercolor challenges me more than other media, and that is part of its allure for me. Painting gives me the opportunity to express my inner response to color and texture in the environment.
Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
Marketing one’s work and finding the right market is an ongoing challenge. There are other products competing for the discretionary dollar, and artists and galleries must be in the business of educating the public and selling fine art.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work is exhibited in the Worrell Gallery in Santa Fe and can also be viewed on my website www.jowilliamswatercolors.com. I also have work in some public art collections including the City of Denton, Greater Denton Arts Council Permanent Collection, and Raytheon. Although I don’t participate in shows and sales as much as I used to, I do show in a couple of annual events in Denton where I live. I also show my work on my Facebook page and by appointment.
Making art available to be seen by the public is the culmination of the whole process of being an artist. It is both gratifying to sell art and simply have it appreciated by collectors and viewers. I am also a subject of a short film titled Living Art: Jo Williams by Director Susan Carol Davis.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jowilliamswatercolors.com
- Phone: 940.383.1092
- Email: texjo@msn.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com (Williams Jo)
Image Credit:
The photo of me is by my husband, Johnny Williams.
The photos of my art are mine.
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